diff --git a/config/settings.yml b/config/settings.yml
index 208c8e3760c2e5..9793e85537bf26 100644
--- a/config/settings.yml
+++ b/config/settings.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ defaults: &defaults
   site_terms: ''
   site_contact_username: ''
   site_contact_email: ''
-  registrations_mode: 'none'
+  registrations_mode: 'none' # if you had changed this, check out `db/migrate/20240219170215_save_default_registrations_mode.rb`
   profile_directory: true
   closed_registrations_message: ''
   timeline_preview: true
diff --git a/db/migrate/20240219170215_save_default_registrations_mode.rb b/db/migrate/20240219170215_save_default_registrations_mode.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..43a200a707b03b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20240219170215_save_default_registrations_mode.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class SaveDefaultRegistrationsMode < ActiveRecord::Migration[7.1]
+  class MigrationSetting < ApplicationRecord
+    self.table_name = :settings
+  end
+
+  def up
+    MigrationSetting.create!(thing_id: nil, thing_type: nil, var: 'registrations_mode', value: "--- open\n") unless MigrationSetting.exists?(thing_id: nil, thing_type: nil, var: 'registrations_mode')
+  end
+
+  def down; end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index 50f4e7189dfee1..80a481074d88b6 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema[7.1].define(version: 2024_01_11_033014) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema[7.1].define(version: 2024_02_19_170215) do
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
   enable_extension "plpgsql"
 
diff --git a/lib/tasks/tests.rake b/lib/tasks/tests.rake
index 935f6d24a38eaa..f90dc14accf17c 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/tests.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/tests.rake
@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@ namespace :tests do
         exit(1)
       end
 
+      unless Setting.registrations_mode == 'open'
+        puts "Unexpected registrations mode: #{Setting.registrations_mode}"
+        exit(1)
+      end
+
       puts 'No errors found. Database state is consistent with a successful migration process.'
     end